Nest Labs today announced the "Works with Nest" developer program, which allows its Nest Thermostat and Nest Protect products to connect to a number of services from the likes of Google, Mercedes Benz, Whirlpool, LIFX and more for enhanced smart-home functionalities.

For example, Nest integration with Jawbone's UP24 band allows the smart thermostat to begin heating and cooling when a user wakes up, while the Nest Protect can connect with LIFX's bulbs to warn users of smoke or carbon monoxide. The new program will also allow users to create custom situations with popular service IFTTT, connecting the products to over 100 other products and services.

The Wall Street Journal also notes the Nest Thermostat's specific integration with Google's services, which comes after Google bought Nest earlier this year:

The integration will allow those users to set the temperature of their homes with voice commands to a Google mobile app. It will also allow Google’s personal digital assistant, Google Now, to set the temperature automatically when it detects, using a smartphone’s location-tracking abilities, that a user is returning home.

Nest also stated that it will allow developers of garage door openers and similar automated appliances to access and utilize user information. However, Nest co-founder Matt Rogers noted users will have to opt in for their information to be shared with Google, making it a point to emphasize user privacy:

Most of the data that Nest will share – with Google and others – will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat. When people link a home device and related account with Nest, the company will not share their email address, name or home address with other companies, Rogers said.

"We’re not becoming part of the greater Google machine," he said.

The news comes as a number of developers are working on products under Apple's new HomeKit initiative, which allows home automation devices and their apps to work with iOS services using a single, secure protocol. Companies currently lined up with Apple for HomeKit include iHome, Honeywell, Haier, Philips, Schlage, and Withings.

Last week, Nest Labs announced that it would be acquiring video-monitoring and security startup Dropcam for $555 million to further its smart home initiative. The company also restarted sales of its Nest protect app-enabled smoke detector last week after it was pulled from shelves over safety concerns.

Top Rated Comments

"Most of the data that Nest will share - with Google and others - will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat. "

So now when Googles data is hacked, anyone can see that I'm away from the house! No thanks, I Walsall ready to buy the Nest then google F-ed that one up. Next the Google Glass will show everyone but me where I am
And that my home is ready to be picked clean.

Ever since Google took over nest, my f***ng nest became very unreliable. It's been breaking like 6 times a day everyday. It was super reliable back then. Now I've just started to to enjoy my Dropcam camera, I just read they're buying that too. I ********** hate google.

"Most of the data that Nest will share - with Google and others - will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat. "

So now when Googles data is hacked, anyone can see that I'm away from the house! No thanks, I Walsall ready to buy the Nest then google F-ed that one up. Next the Google Glass will show everyone but me where I am
And that my home is ready to be picked clean.

No thanks for my home data being shared.

And if anyone "hacks" Apple or your service provider they can also find out where you are from your iPhone. And yet oddly my home doesn't seem to get burgled every time I go out.

"Most of the data that Nest will share - with Google and others - will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat. "

So now when Googles data is hacked, anyone can see that I'm away from the house! No thanks, I Walsall ready to buy the Nest then google F-ed that one up. Next the Google Glass will show everyone but me where I am
And that my home is ready to be picked clean.

"Most of the data that Nest will share - with Google and others - will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat. "

So now when Googles data is hacked, anyone can see that I'm away from the house! No thanks, I Walsall ready to buy the Nest then google F-ed that one up. Next the Google Glass will show everyone but me where I am
And that my home is ready to be picked clean.

No thanks for my home data being shared.

Who's paying attention to you? Is it the anti-google thing? Would you have bought a nest pre-google?

Do you have your driveway lights and kitchen lights on timers, to simulate occupancy?

From Article: "... users will have to opt in for their information to be shared with Google..."

Ever since Google took over nest, my f***ng nest became very unreliable. It's been breaking like 6 times a day everyday. It was super reliable back then. Now I've just started to to enjoy my Dropcam camera, I just read they're buying that too. I ********** hate google.

O.o Your 'unreliable' Nest has nothing to do with Google purchasing Nest. Might be coincidence, but the purchase isn't the reason...

Some facts: Google purchased Nest back in February. Your Nest should have only received four updates in that time. Two of those updates were simple bug fixes and a third was an update for Heartbleed.

By unreliable, I assume you mean the connection comes/goes. Two reasons: your WiFi is **** or something is wrong with your Nest. Fixes: For the first issue, fix your WiFi. For the second one, try resetting the Nest to factory settings. If that doesn't work, try contacting Nest support for additional help or a warranty replacement, if you're still covered.

Most of the data that Nest will share - with Google and others - will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat.

And this is supposed to be a good thing?! Sorry, if this information is going anywhere, it's gotta be encrypted with my own key that "Google and others" don't have. They don't need to see that information.

"If you are a Nest user, I probably wouldn't panic yet. It seems the hacker would need physical access to the device, which limits the risk." I wouldn't worry about this any more than I'd worry about a spy hacking my iPhone with physical access, which is equally doable.

The NEST servers are google. What I am wondering is if you can block traffic from the NEST externally and control it via an internal service you have hosted on your own network. In that case the user could write a service that interfaces with other 3rd party home automation services or their own.

... which defeats the purpose of something like the NEST thermostat. People have been capable of putting together their own home automation solutions and serving them from their own network for many, many years. Products like the NEST thermostat are there to bring such capabilities to the broader market, to those who either don't have the technical knowledge or the desire to create their own systems. Why go to the trouble of reinventing the wheel when you can just buy one?

As indicated from one of the previous posts, with access to the device you can hack it to run your own software, thus yes, you can set it up to work with your own server and not contact NEST. If you want to spend your time setting up and maintaining that system, have fun.

I don't have a NEST and haven't looked into the security much but is it possible the nest talks back to google regardless to the user settings. Can you trace data for a few days to see what chatter is coming off the NEST.

NEST talks back to the NEST servers all the time... that's how I can see settings, status, and temperatures from their website or from apps - that's the whole point of having a connected thermostat. The smoke detectors talk much less frequently, but they also serve as a long-term learning aid for the thermostat to help it determine when to use auto-away and when not too (especially when the thermostat might be in a place you don't go by very often, so it can't detect that you're actually home). There's no way for us to trace what goes from the NEST servers to Google...

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